About ... from the menu.)
The Validate the Item process determines that an item is marked as Changed and
is not NULL.
An operator returns a value into an item by making a selection from a list of
values, and the item is not NULL.
Form Builder fetches a non-NULL value into an item. In this case, the When-Validate-Item trigger does not fire. If you want to circumvent this situation and
effectively get rid of the Post-Change trigger, you must include a Post-Query trigger in addition to your When-Validate-Item trigger. See "Usage Notes"
below.
Definition Level form, block, or item
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode no
Usage Notes
The Post-Change trigger is included only for compatibility with previous
versions of Form Builder. Its use is not recommended in new applications.
The Post-Query trigger does not have the restrictions of the Post-Change trigger. You can
use Post-Query to make changes to the fetched database values. Given such
changes, Form Builder marks the corresponding items and records as changed.
On Failure
If fired as part of validation initiated by navigation, navigation fails, and
the focus remains in the original item.
If there are V2-style triggers in the form and Form Builder is populating a
record with fetched values, the following restrictions apply:
Form Builder ignores any attempt to change the value of a database item in the
record.
Form Builder does not execute any SELECT statement that only affects database
items in the record.
Form Builder does not execute a SELECT statement that does not have an INTO
clause.
If Form Builder does not execute a SELECT statement in a V2-style trigger
step, it treats the trigger step as though the step succeeded, even when the
Reverse Return Code trigger step property is set.
During fetch processing, Post-Change triggers defined as PL/SQL triggers do
not operate with these restrictions. Regardless of trigger style, during a
record fetch, Form Builder does not perform validation checks, but marks the record
and its items as Valid, after firing the Post-Change trigger for each item.
Fires In
Validate the Item
Fetch Records
Review Process Flowcharts
sets the error location
rolls back to the most recent savepoint
Fires In
Post and Commit Transactions
Review Process Flowcharts
To clean up the form before exiting. For example, use a Post-Form trigger to erase any
global variables that the form no longer requires.
To display a message to the operator upon form exit.
This trigger does not fire when the form is exited abnormally, for example, if
validation fails in the form.
On Failure
processing halts
Fires In
Leave the Form
Review Process Flowcharts
sets the error location
rolls back to the most recent savepoint
Fires In
Post and Commit Transactions
Review Process Flowcharts
The successful completion of Form Builder default logon processing.
The successful execution of the On-Logon trigger.
Definition Level form
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode no
Usage Notes
Use a Post-Logon trigger to provide an event point for a task such as setting
up a custom environment with special variables--to initialize on an application
level rather than a form-by-form basis. You might accomplish this by
initializing special global variables from this trigger.
On Failure
Varies based on the following conditions:
If the trigger fails during the first logon process, Form Builder exits the
form, and returns to the operating system.
If the trigger fails after a successful logon, Form Builder raises the
built-in exception FORM_TRIGGER_FAILURE .
Fires In
LOGON
Review Process Flowcharts
Form Builder successfully logs out of ORACLE.
The successful execution of the On-Logout trigger.
Definition Level form
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode no
Usage Notes
Use a Post-Logout trigger to audit or to perform tasks on an Form Builder
application that does not require or affect the RDBMS or other data source.
If you call certain built-ins from within one of the Logout triggers, the
results are undefined. For example, you cannot call COPY from a Pre-Logout trigger because Pre-Logout fires after the Leave the Form event. Because the
form is no longer accessible, a COPY operation is not possible.
On Failure
If this trigger fails while leaving the form, there is no effect.
If this trigger fails and you have initiated a call to the LOGOUT built-in from within the trigger, FORM_FAILURE is set to TRUE.
Fires In
LOGOUT
Review Process Flowcharts
populate control items or items in other blocks
calculate statistics about the records retrieved by a query
calculate a running total
When you use a Post-Query trigger to SELECT non-base table values into control
items, Form Builder marks each record as CHANGED, and so fires the When-Validate-Item trigger by default. You can avoid the execution of the When-Validate-Item
trigger by explicitly setting the Status property of each record to QUERY in the Post-Query trigger. To set record status
programmatically, use SET_RECORD_PROPERTY .
On Failure
Form Builder flushes the record from the block and attempts to fetch the next
record from the database. If there are no other records in the database, Form
Builder closes the query and waits for the next operator action.
Fires In
Fetch Records
Review Process Flowcharts
sets the error location
rolls back to the most recent savepoint
Fires In
Post and Commit Transactions
Review Process Flowcharts
allow or disallow access to a block
set variable values
On Failure
Navigation fails and focus remains in the source item.
Fires In
Enter the Block
Review Process Flowcharts
sets the error location
rolls back to the most recent savepoint
Fires In
Post and Commit Transactions
Review Process Flowcharts
assign unique primary key from sequence
restrict access to a form
initialize global variables
On Failure
Form Builder leaves the current form and fires no other triggers.
Fires In
Enter the Form
Review Process Flowcharts
change item values
keep track of the date a record is created and store that in the record prior
to committing
On Failure
Form Builder performs the following steps when the Pre-Insert trigger fails:
sets the error location
rolls back to the most recent savepoint
Fires In
Post and Commit Transactions
Review Process Flowcharts
If Form Builder is entering the form for the first time and the trigger fails,
the form is exited gracefully, but no other triggers are fired.
If the trigger fails while Form Builder is attempting to execute the LOGON built-in from within the trigger, Form Builder raises the FORM_TRIGGER_FAILURE exception.
Fires In
LOGON
Review Process Flowcharts
If Form Builder is exiting the form and the trigger fails, the form is exited
gracefully, but no other triggers are fired.
If the trigger fails while Form Builder is attempting to execute the LOGOUT built-in from within the trigger, Form Builder raises the FORM_TRIGGER_FAILURE exception.
If an exception is raised in a Pre-Logout trigger, Form Builder does not fire
other triggers, such as On-Logout and Post-Logout .
Fires In
LOGOUT
Review Process Flowcharts
derive a complex default value, based on other items previously entered into
the same record.
record the current value of the text item for future reference, and store that
value in a global variable or form parameter.
On Failure
Navigation fails and focus remains in the current item.
Fires In
Enter the Item
Review Process Flowcharts
sets the error location
rolls back to the most recent savepoint
Fires In
Post and Commit Transactions
Review Process Flowcharts
Use a When-Clear-Block trigger to perform an action every time Form Builder
flushes the current block. For example, you might want to perform an automatic
commit whenever this condition occurs.
In a When-Clear-Block trigger, the value of SYSTEM.RECORD_STATUS is unreliable because there is no current record. An alternative is to use GET_RECORD_PROPERTY to obtain the record status. Because GET_RECORD_PROPERTY requires reference
to a specific record, its value is always accurate.
On Failure
no effect on the clearing of the block
Fires In
CLEAR_BLOCK
COUNT_QUERY
ENTER_QUERY
Open the Query
Review Process Flowcharts
single-click on an image item
double-click on an image item
Note that When-Image-Pressed also fires on a double-click.
Definition Level form, block, or item
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode no
On Failure
no effect
single-click on an image item
double-click on an image item
Note that When-Image-Activated also fires on a double-click.
Definition Level form, block, or item
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, unrestricted built-ins, restricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode yes
Usage Notes
Use a When-Image-Pressed trigger to perform an action when an operator clicks
or double-clicks on an image item.
On Failure
no effect
if attached to the form, when the mouse is clicked within any canvas or item
in the form
if attached to a block, when the mouse is clicked within any item in the block
if attached to an item, when the mouse is clicked within the item
Three events must occur before a When-Mouse-Click trigger will fire:
Mouse down
Mouse up
Mouse click
Any trigger that is associated with these events will fire before the
When-Mouse-Click trigger fires.
Definition Level form, block, or item
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, restricted built-ins, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode yes
Usage Notes
Use the When-Mouse-Click trigger to perform an action every time the operator
clicks the mouse within an item and/or canvas.
On Failure
no effect
if attached to the form, when the mouse is double-clicked within any canvas or
item in the form
if attached to a block, when the mouse is double-clicked within any item in
the block
if attached to an item, when the mouse is double-clicked within the item
Six events must occur before a When-Mouse-DoubleClick trigger will fire:
Mouse down
Mouse up
Mouse click
Mouse down
Mouse up
Mouse double-click
Any trigger that is associated with these events will fire before the
When-Mouse-DoubleClick trigger fires.
Definition Level form, block, or item
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, restricted built-ins, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode yes
Usage Notes
Use a When-Mouse-DoubleClick trigger to perform an action every time the
operator double-clicks the mouse within an item and/or canvas.
On Failure
no effect
if attached to the form, when the mouse is pressed down within any canvas or
item in the form
if attached to a block, when the mouse is pressed down within any item in the
block
if attached to an item, when the mouse is pressed within the item
Definition Level form, block, or item
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, restricted built-ins, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode yes
Usage Notes
Use a When-Mouse-Down trigger to perform an action every time the operator
presses down the mouse button within an item and/or canvas.
Note: The mouse down event is always followed by a mouse up event.
On Failure
no effect
if attached to the form, when the mouse enters any canvas or item in the form
if attached to a block, when the mouse enters any item in the block
if attached to an item, when the mouse enters the item
Definition Level form, block, or item
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, restricted built-ins, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode yes
Usage Notes
Use a When-Mouse-Enter trigger to perform an action every time the mouse
enters an item or canvas.
Do not use the When-Mouse-Enter trigger on a canvas that is larger than the
window. Iconic buttons and items on the canvas below the initial window cannot
be selected. The user is able to scroll the canvas to see the items. However,
as soon as the mouse enters that area, the trigger fires and returns focus to
the previous target, so the user is never able to click on those items.
Changing a tooltip's property in a When-Mouse-Enter trigger cancels the
tooltip before it is ever shown.
Be careful when calling a modal window from a When-Mouse-Enter trigger. Doing
so may cause the modal window to appear unnecessarily.
For example, assume that your When-Mouse-Enter trigger causes Alert_One to
appear whenever the mouse enters Canvas_One. Assume also that your application
contains two canvases, Canvas_One and Canvas_Two. Canvas_One and Canvas_Two do
not overlap each other, but appear side by side on the screen. Further, assume
that Alert_One displays within Canvas_Two's border.
Finally, assume that the mouse has entered Canvas_One causing the
When-Mouse-Enter trigger to fire which in turn causes Alert_One to appear.
When the operator dismisses the message box, Alert_One will appear again
unnecessarily if the operator subsequently enters Canvas_One with the mouse. In addition,
when the operator moves the mouse out of Canvas_Two, any When-Mouse-Leave triggers associated with this event will fire. This may not be the desired
behavior.
On Failure
no effect
if attached to the form, when the mouse leaves any canvas or item in the form
if attached to a block, when the mouse leaves any item in the block
if attached to an item, when the mouse leaves the item
Definition Level form, block, or item
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, restricted built-ins, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode yes
Usage Notes
Use a When-Mouse-Leave trigger to perform an action every time the mouse
leaves an item and/or canvas.
On Failure
no effect
if attached to the form, when the mouse moves within any canvas or item in the
form
if attached to a block, when the mouse moves within any item in the block
if attached to an item, when the mouse moves within the item
Definition Level form, block, or item
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, restricted built-ins, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode yes
Usage Notes
Use the When-Mouse-Move trigger to perform an action every time the operator
moves the mouse.
The When-Mouse-Move trigger may have performance implications because of the
number of times this trigger can potentially fire.
On Failure
no effect
if attached to the form, when the mouse up event is received within any canvas
or item in a form
if attached to a block, when the mouse up event is received within any item in
a block
if attached to an item, when the mouse up event is received within an item
Two events must occur before a When-Mouse-Up trigger will fire:
Mouse down
Mouse up
Definition Level form, block, or item
Legal Commands
SELECT statements, restricted built-ins, unrestricted built-ins
Enter Query Mode yes
Usage Notes
Use the When-Mouse-Up trigger to perform an action every time the operator
presses and releases the mouse.
The mouse up event is always associated with the item that received the mouse
down event. For example, assume that there is a When-Mouse-Up trigger attached
to Item_One. If the operator presses down the mouse on Item_One, but then
releases the mouse on Item_Two, the mouse up trigger will fire for Item_One,
rather than for Item_Two.
On Failure
no effect
Form Builder navigates through an item, without stopping to accept input
the input focus moves to a field in an alert window, or to any part of an Form
Builder menu
Use a When-Tab-Page-Changed trigger to perform actions when any tab page is
changed during item or mouse navigation.
When-Tab-Page-Changed fires only when tab page navigation is explicit; it
does not respond to implicit navigation. For example, the trigger will fire when
the mouse or keyboard is used to navigate between tab pages, but the trigger
will not fire if an end user presses [Next Item] (Tab) to navigate from one field
to another field in the same block, but on different tab pages.
When-Tab-Page-Changed does not fire when the tab page is changed
programmatically.
On Failure
no effect
The When-Timer-Expired trigger can not fire during trigger, navigation, or
transaction processing.
Use a When-Timer-Expired trigger to initiate an event, update item values, or
perform any task that should occur after a specified interval.
You can call GET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(TIMER_NAME) in a When-Timer-Expired trigger to determine the name of the most
recently expired timer.
On Failure
no effect
Fires In
Process Expired Timer
Review Process Flowcharts
SYSTEM.TRIGGER_NODE is the node the user clicked on. SYSTEM.TRIGGER_NODE
returns a value of type NODE.
No programmatic action will cause the When-Tree-Node-Activated trigger to
fire. Only end-user action will generate an event.
On Failure
no effect
SYSTEM.TRIGGER_NODE is the node the user clicked on. SYSTEM.TRIGGER_NODE
returns a value of type NODE.
No programmatic action will cause the When-Tree-Node-Espanded trigger to fire.
Only end-user action will generate an event.
On Failure
no effect
SYSTEM.TRIGGER_NODE is the node the user clicked on. SYSTEM.TRIGGER_NODE
returns a value of type NODE.
No programmatic action will cause the When-Tree-Node-Selected trigger to fire.
Only end-user action will generate an event.
On Failure
no effect
Use a When-Validate-Item trigger to supplement Form Builder default item
validation processing.
It is possible to write a When-Validate-Item trigger that changes the value of
an item that Form Builder is validating. If validation succeeds, Form Builder
marks the changed item as Valid and does not re-validate it. While this
behavior is necessary to avoid validation loops, it does make it possible for your
application to commit an invalid value to the database.
The Defer_Required_Enforcement property postpones enforcement of the Required property from item validation to record validation. When an item has the
Required property set to Yes, by default Form Builder will not allow navigation
out of the item until a valid value is entered. Setting the
Defer_Required_Enforcement property to Yes allows the operator to move freely among the items in the
record.
Note: When Defer_Required_Enforcement is On, all other item validation takes place
as usual: only checking the Required property is postponed until the operator
leaves the record.
On Failure
If fired as part of validation initiated by navigation, navigation fails, and
the focus remains on the original item.
Fires In
Validate the Item
Review Process Flowcharts
Capture initial settings of window properties, by way of the GET_WINDOW_PROPERTY built-in.
Enforce navigation to a particular item whenever a window is activated.
Keep track of the most recently fired window trigger by assigning the value
from SYSTEM.EVENT_WINDOW to a variable or global variable.
On Failure
no effect
Capture the changed window properties, such as width, height, x coordinate, or
y coordinate.
Audit the actions of an operator.
Set the input focus in an item on the target window.
Maintain certain visual standards by resetting window size if the window was
improperly resized.
On Failure
no effect
message prefix and number
description of error
possible cause(s) of the error
action(s) you might take to resolve the error
When you encounter an error message, first check the message prefix to
determine which component generated the message. Then look at the message number and
description. If you need more information, consult the component's online help
system for a full description of the error message (including cause and
action).
Error Message Prefixes
Each component has a unique prefix for its error messages. The following list
shows the error message prefixes for Forms Developer:
Prefix Component
FRM Form Builder
OG Graphics Builder
PDE Procedure Builder
In addition to Forms Developer error messages, you may encounter messages
from other products. The following list shows other error message prefixes you
may encounter and sources of information for researching the error:
Prefix Source Help
ORA Oracle Server Oracle Server Messages and Codes Manual
PLS PL/SQL Oracle Server Messages and Codes Manual
NET SQL*Net Oracle Network Products Messages Manual
The Oracle Server Messages and Codes Manual contains error message prefixes and descriptions for all database utilities,
such as SQL*DBA, SQL*Loader, SQL*Module, Export, Import, and the Oracle
Precompilers.
System-specific error messages are documented in you operating system
documentation.
use the SYSTEM.MESSAGE_LEVEL system variable to suppress specific "severity
levels" of messages
use On-Error and On-Message triggers to replace the standard processing of
messages
use the SYSTEM.SUPPRESS_WORKING system variable to prevent the update of an
end user's screen (by suppressing the "Working..." message)
Message Severity Levels
Forms Runtime messages are ranked by severity. Use the SYSTEM.MESSAGE_LEVEL
system variable to can control the minimum severity level that displays to end
users.
There are six levels of message severity that you can affect, listed here in
increasing order of severity.
| Level
| Message Description
|
| 0
| All types of messages from the other levels of severity.
|
| 5
| Reaffirms an obvious condition.
|
| 10
| Indicates that the end user has made a procedural mistake.
|
| 15
| Declares that the end user is attempting to perform a function for which the
form is not designed.
|
| 20
| Indicates a condition where the end user cannot continue an intended action
due to a problem with a trigger or another outstanding condition.
|
| 25
| Indicates a condition that could result in the form performing incorrectly.
|
| >25
| Indicates a message severity level that you cannot suppress via the
SYSTEM.MESSAGE_LEVEL system variable.
|
About ... from the menu.)
1: Program not usable. Critical impact on operations.
2: Program usable. Operations severely restricted.
3: Program usable with limited functions. Not critical to overall operations.
4: Problem circumvented by customer. Minimal effect-if any-on operations.
Open to display the file or database dialog.
Save.
CompileAll to compile the newly-upgraded module.
| To upgrade from:
| Use this version number:
|
| Version 3.0
| 30
|
| Version 2.3
| 23
|
| Version 2.0
| 20
|
in the toolbar.
to display the Property Palette.
Set the Query Data Source Type property to Table.
Type the name of a database table in the Query Data Source Name field.
Set the DML Data Target Type property to Table.
Type the name of your data source in the DML Data Source Name field.
in the toolbar.
Data BlockWizard to invoke a wizard that guides you through the process of modifying the
definition of a data block.
Do not issue a SQL COMMIT or ROLLBACK statement from within a foreign function
if there are changes in a form that have not been posted to the database when
the foreign function is called.
Do not issue any command that would implicitly cause a database commit, such
as a DDL command within a foreign function, if there are changes in a form that
have not been posted to the database when the foreign function is called.
| form_variable_n
| Specifies the name of the Form Builder item or variable from which you are
reading a value.
|
| host_variable_n
| Specifies the name of the host language variable into which you are reading a
value.
|
a fully-qualified item (block.item)
a form parameter
a Form Builder system variable
a Form Builder global variable
a host language variable (prefixed with a colon) whose value is any of the
above choices
Refer to the Programmer's Guide to the Oracle Precompilers for any restrictions on host language variables.
| form_variable
| Specifies the name of the Form Builder item or variable into which you are
reading a value.
|
| host_variable
| Specifies the name of the host language variable from which you are reading a
value.
|
| constant
| Specifies the constant that you are reading. Do not precede a constant with a
colon.
|
a fully-qualified item (block.item)
a form parameter
a Form Builder system variable
a Form Builder global variable
a host language variable (prefixed with a colon) whose value is any of the
above choices
Refer to the Programmer's Guide to the Oracle Precompilers for any restrictions on host language variables.
Represent host variables and constants in standard SQL format:
| Value
| Result
|
| :holder1
| Inserts the value of the host variable, holder1 (preceded by a semi-colon).
|
| 'Summit Sporting Goods'
| Inserts the constant string value, Summit Sporting Goods (enclosed in single
quotes).
|
| 413
| Inserts the constant numeric value, 413 (no quotes for numeric values).
|
| message
| Specifies the message being passed to Form Builder. The message can be a
quoted string or a host language variable.
|
| Severity
| Specifies the severity level of the message being passed to Form Builder.
|
| context_name
| Specifies the name of the context you are saving.
|
| host_variable_n
| Specifies the name of the host language variable into which you are reading
the context value.
|
a host language variable (prefixed with a colon)
a constant
| host_name
| Specifies the host language variable containing the information to be saved.
|
| context_name
| Specifies the name of the saved context.
|
a host language variable (prefixed with a colon)
a constant
| Column
| Content
|
| NAME
| This column specifies a user exit name for a foreign function that can be
invoked from a user exit. (This is not necessarily the name of the file that
contains the foreign function or the name of the foreign function that is called.)
Note that some host languages are case sensitive.
|
| FUNCTION
| This column specifies the name of the foreign function.
|
| TYPE
| This column specifies the language in which the foreign function is written.
Valid values include:XITCC for C, XITCOB for COBOL, XITFOR for FORTRAN, XITPLI
for PL/I, XITPAS for PASCAL, and XITAda for Ada
|
| user_exit_string
| Specifies a user exit name for a foreign function to call from a user exit,
including any parameters. Maximum length of the user_exit_string is 255
characters.
|
| error_string
| Specifies a user-defined error message that Form Builder displays if the call
to the foreign function fails. Maximum length of the error_string is 255
characters.
|
| Foreign Function Parameter
| Form Builder Definition
|
| Command Line
| user_exit_string.
|
| Command Line Length
| length (in characters) of user_exit_string.
|
| Error Message
| error_string.
|
| Error Message Length
| length (in characters) of error_string.
|
| In-Query
| a boolean value that reflects whether the foreign function was invoked from a
user exit when the form was in Enter Query mode.
|
| F60XTB32.DLL
| is the default file containing foreign functions that can be invoked from a
user exit interface. This file is a DLL that ships with Form Builder, and does
not initially contain user-defined foreign functions. This file is placed in
the \ORAWIN95\BIN directory during installation. When you create new foreign
functions, replace the existing F60XTB32.DLL file with a new F60XTB32.DLL.
|
| UE_XTB.C
| is a file that contains an example of an entry for the IAPXTB control
structure. Modify this file and add your foreign function entries. This is the file
that is in the UE_SAMP.MAK project file.
|
| UE_XTBN.C
| is a file that contains an empty IAPXTB control structure. Add your foreign function entries to create an
IAPXTB control structure. This is the file that is in the UE_XTBN.MAK project
file.
|
| UE_SAMP.MAK
| is a project file that includes the IAPXTB control structure from the UE_XTB.C
file. Building this project generates UE_SAMP.DLL. You can rename the DLL
from UE_SAMP.DLL to F60XTB32.DLL and replace the existing F60XTB32.DLL in the
\ORAWIN95\BIN directory, or you can add UE_SAMP.DLL to the list of DLLs defined by
the FORMS60_USEREXITS parameter in the registry.
|
| UE_XTBN.MAK
| is a project file that includes the IAPXTB control structure from the
UE_XTBN.C file. Building this project generates UE_XTBN.DLL. This is the project file
that is used to generate the initial F60XTB32.DLL that resides in the
\ORAWIN95\BIN directory. You can rename the DLL from UE_XTBN.DLL to F60XTB32.DLL and
replace the existing F60XTB32.DLL in the \ORAWIN95\BIN directory, or you can add
UE_XTBN.DLL to the list of DLLs defined by the FORMS60_USEREXITS parameter in
the registry.
|
| UE_SAMP.DEF
| contains definitions you need to build your own DLL.
|
| OSSWEP.OBJ
| is the Dynamic Link Library Windows Entry Point .OBJ file you need to build
your own DLL. (You may replace OSSWEP.OBJ with an .OBJ file of your own.)
|
| UEZ.OBJ
| is an .OBJ file that you link to your own .OBJ files.
|
| UE_Name
| is the user exit name for use by the USER_EXIT built-in subprogram to invoke
the foreign function from Form Builder.
|
| UE_Funct
| is the name of the foreign function that temporarily takes over processing
control from Form Builder.
|
| XITCC
| specifies the C programming language that is used to develop the foreign
function.
|
If the FORMS60_USEREXITS parameter does not exist in the registry, foreign
functions must be contained in a single user exit DLL named F60XTB32.DLL and
located in the \ORAWIN95\BIN directory.
If the FORMS60_USEREXITS parameter exists in the registry and there are
multiple user exit DLLs define, the first occurrence of the foreign function in the
list of DLLs is invoked.
If there are multiple user exit DLLs that contain non-unique foreign function
names, the non-unique function name that is invoked is the first occurrence of
function that follows the content in the user exit cache memory.
NOTE: To avoid calling an unexpected foreign function, do not use the same
foreign function name more than once in any of your user exit DLLs. An example of a
non-unique function name is when two different functions have the same name,
but are contained in different user exit DLLs.
User Exit Cache Memory Form Builder deals with non-unique function names by maintaining a user exit
cache memory. Exiting a form clears the user exit cache memory, otherwise the
user exit cache memory retains the last called foreign function in memory
until you call another foreign function.
Invoking a foreign function that has a non-unique function name depends on
what is in the user exit cache memory. The first occurrence of a foreign function
with a non-unique function name that follows the foreign function in the user
exit cache memory is invoked.
If the user exit cache memory is empty, the first occurrence of a function
with the non-unique function name in the list of DLLs is invoked. Because the
cache memory is not cleared until you exit a form, subsequent calls to a
non-unique function name may result in an unexpected foreign function call. For
instance, you may accidentally call a function that follows a function with a unique
name as opposed to calling a function that appears earlier in the sequence of
user exit DLLs. Although in many cases, the user exit cache memory correctly
identifies foreign functions with non-unique names, you should use unique foreign
function names in the list of DLLs that are members of the FORMS60_USEREXITS
variable whenever possible.
About VBX Controls 13 - 569
VBX Controls in Form Builder 13 - 570
VBX Controls in the Form Builder 13 - 572
VBX Controls in Form Builder at Runtime 13 - 574
Creating a VBX Control in Form Builder 13 - 582
A VBX control is the best representation for your data in Form Builder.
A VBX control is the best method of data input into Form Builder.
You want a simple method of enhancing the user interface to build professional
Form Builder applications.
The Value of a VBX Control
Like other items in Form Builder, a VBX control can store values such as the
number 10 or the character string 'BLUE'. The value of a VBX control is derived
from the item property, VBX Control Value Property. Form Builder uses the
setting of the VBX Control Value Property for database querying and setting. Use
standard PL/SQL bind variable syntax to set the value of a VBX control.
The value of the VBX Control Value Property can be any one of the control's
scalar-valued properties. Many scalar-valued properties can exist for any single
VBX control, but not all the properties make sense as the VBX Control Value
Property for a control's intended use.
Form Builder sets the VBX Control Value Property after a VBX control name is
specified. In many cases, a VBX control has a default property that denotes the
value of the control. If there exists a default property that denotes the
value of the control, the default property is set to the VBX Control Value
Property.
For example, the knob VBX control has a property called Value Current which is the default property that denotes the value of the knob control.
After selecting to use the knob control, the VBX Control Value Property is set to
the knob control property, Value Current. Other properties of the knob control, such as Value Initial, Value Maximum, and Value Minimum, are valid values to assign to the VBX Control Value Property. However,
these VBX control properties may not provide meaningful data as the VBX Control
Value Property.
As previously illustrated, the VBX control that is a knob can be used to
represent a number in a range of values. If you expect the knob control to
represent the current value, Value Current is the appropriate setting for the VBX Control Value Property. In this
scenario, if the VBX Control Value Property is set to the knob control property Value Minimum, the knob always represents the minimum value in the range. Although the Value Minimum knob control property is a valid setting for the VBX Control Value Property,
it is not meaningful in this particular instance.
You can set the VBX Control Value Property from Form Builder. In addition,
you can programmatically get and set the VBX Control Value Property by using the VBX.GET_VALUE_PROPERTY and VBX.SET_VALUE_PROPERTY built-in subprograms from the VBX package in Form Builder.
respond to VBX control events
fire VBX control events
get VBX control properties
set VBX control properties
invoke VBX control methods
You can define the course of action that takes place following any VBX control
event, for instance, to increase a value in a field on a form when the spin
button VBX control spins upward. Similarly, you can decrease a value in a field
on a form when the spin button spins downward. You respond to the events
raised by the spin button VBX control to detect whether a spin button spins upward
or downward and perform the appropriate action. In this case, the spin button
VBX control raises a SpinUp event when a button spins upward and a SpinDown
event when a button spins downward. Events vary among VBX controls. For
information about the events of a particular VBX control, refer to the documentation for
the specific VBX control.
Document
Dialog
Document Windows Document windows typically display the main canvases and work areas of your
application where most data entry, and data retrieval is performed.
Dialog Windows Dialog windows are free-floating, containers typically used for modal
dialogs that require immediate user interaction.
Content
Stacked
Tab
Toolbar
Content Canvas The most common canvas type is the content canvas (the default type). A
content canvas is the "base" view that occupies the entire content pane of the
window in which it is displayed. You must define at least one content canvas for
each window you create.
Stacked Canvas A stacked canvas is displayed atop—or stacked on—the content canvas assigned to the current window. Stacked canvases obscure
some part of the underlying content canvas, and often are shown and hidden
programmatically. You can display more than one stacked canvas in a window at the
same time.
Tab Canvas A tab canvas—made up of one or more tab pages—allows you to group and display a large amount of related information on a
single dynamic Form Builder canvas object. Like stacked canvases, tab canvases
are displayed on top of a content canvas, partly obscuring it. Tab pages (that
collectively comprise the tab canvas) each display a subset of the information
displayed on the entire tab canvas.
Toolbar Canvas A toolbar canvas often is used to create toolbars for individual windows.
You can create two types of toolbar canvases: horizontal or vertical.
Horizontal toolbar canvases are displayed at the top of a window, just under its menu
bar, while vertical toolbars are displayed along the far left edge of a window.
Closeable (Yes)
Fixed Size (No)
Iconifiable (Yes)
Inherit Menu (Yes)
Movable (Yes)
Name
Remove on Exit (No)
Style (Document)
Vertical/Horizontal Scroll Bar (No)
Zoomable (Yes)
Displaying the Root Window Form Builder displays the root window at form startup, and it remains
displayed throughout the session. This is true even if the root window does not
contain navigable items or even any canvases. For example, an application might use
the root window only as a menu bar that displays the Form Builder status and
message lines, and then use secondary windows to display the main application
canvases.
The Hide on Exit property does not apply to modal windows. By default, Form
Builder prevents end users from navigating out of modal windows with the mouse,
but does allow them to navigate to another window with keyboard commands. When
such navigation occurs, Form Builder always closes the modal window, unless
the target window is itself a modal window.
Modal dialog windows cannot have scroll bars, thus setting the Scroll Bar
properties has no effect. (Modal non-dialog windows, however, can have scroll bars.)
System-level vs. Application-level Modality On some platforms, modal windows are modal only with respect to other
windows in the same application. That is, when Form Builder displays a modal window,
the end user is still allowed to work in windows owned by other applications.
On other platforms, modal windows are modal with respect to the entire system,
and must be dismissed before end users can send input to windows that belong
to other applications.
in the toolbar.
Set the Previous Navigation Block and Next Navigation Block properties for the
blocks in the dialog to prevent end users from navigating with the [Next
Block] and [Previous Block] keys. For example, for a block named DIALOG, you could
set both properties to DIALOG to make navigation circular, thus preventing end
users from using keys to navigate to any other block.
Write appropriate block-level triggers for each block in the modal window.
For example, you might define a block-level Key-Others trigger that would disable
all keys except those keys for which you had also defined a key-trigger (such
as Key-Nxt-Item) to enable tabbing between items in the modal window.
Once you have prevented end users from closing a dialog through keyboard
navigation, you must write the commands to close the dialog in response to the
desired events. You can close a modal dialog programmatically by navigating to an
item or block in a modeless window with built-ins such as GO_ITEM and GO_BLOCK.
For example, a modal window might contain an OK button with a
When-Button-Pressed trigger that executes a GO_BLOCK statement to navigate out of the modal
window.
Show Canvas menu option. Many canvas properties can be set graphically in the
Layout Editor, as well as in the Property Palette.
Note: You cannot clear, cut, copy, export, or duplicate the canvas or view objects
in the Layout Editor.
in the toolbar.
Property Palette.
in the toolbar, then click-drag a rectangular region where you want the tab
canvas to appear on the underlying content canvas. Once you have created the
tab canvas in this manner, you can immediately resize or move it while still in
the Layout Editor.
Editing You can use the Layout Editor to edit items on a stacked or tab canvas in
two ways: (1) directly, or (2) on the stacked view of a content canvas. To
directly edit a stacked or tab canvas, invoke the Layout Editor, select the
appropriate canvas from the Canvas combination box at the top of the window, then
move, resize or manipulate the items of the canvas. To edit a stacked or tab
canvas on the stacked view of a content canvas, invoke the Layout Editor, display
the appropriate content canvas, choose ShowStacked Views, select the appropriate canvas from the Stacked Canvases dialog, then move,
resize, or manipulate the items of the canvas.
Automatic Synchronization Form Builder automatically synchronizes items on the stacked view of the
content canvas and the corresponding item on the actual stacked canvas. For
example, any movement, resizing or changes in visual attributes to an item on a
stacked canvas from the stacked view on the content canvas is reflected in the
stacked canvas when invoked from a Layout Editor. Similarly, when changes are made
to items on a stacked canvas from a Layout Editor, the changes are reflected
in the stacked view on the content canvas.
Show View menu option.
Resizing the View For a content or toolbar canvas, the view rectangle represents the window to
which the canvas is assigned. Resizing the view in the Layout Editor changes
the Width and Height properties of the window. Conversely, changing the Width
or Height properties of the window resizes the view rectangle in the Layout
Editor. For a stacked canvas, the view is independent of the window in which the
canvas is displayed, and its size is controlled by the Viewport Width and
Viewport Height properties.
Moving the View To move the view, drag it to the desired location. Moving the view changes
the Viewport X/Y Position on Canvas properties. To resize the view, click on it
to select it, then drag one of the selection handles.
Layout Wizard When you use the Layout Wizard to arrange data block items on a canvas, the
Layout Wizard allows you to place data block items on a new content canvas
(which the Layout Wizard will create for you and give a default name, such as
CANVAS3).
Layout Editor In the Layout Editor, you can create items and boilerplate objects on a
specific canvas. (If there are no canvases in a form when you invoke the Layout
Editor, Form Builder automatically creates a default content canvas for you to
work on.)
Object Navigator To create a content canvas in the Object Navigator, first you create the
canvas, then you specify its type by setting the Canvas Type property in the
Property Palette.
Display items or boilerplate graphics that end users need to see only in
certain situations. (Define a stacked canvas that displays help text or images that
remain hidden until they are explicitly invoked by the end user.)
Display headers that display constant information such as company names,
dates, and status information. (Define a stacked canvas that always appears in
front of the current content canvas. When the current content canvas is replaced
by another, the stacked canvas remains visible in the window. Use this
technique to avoid duplicating interface elements on multiple content canvases in the
same window.)
Create a block with items that scroll dynamically in the window where they are
displayed, much like a spreadsheet. (If a block contains more items than fit
in a window, Form Builder automatically scrolls the window as the end user tabs
to items outside the window's frame. This can cause important fields—such as primary key values—to be scrolled out of the window and thus out of the end user's view. For
example, for a block that displays information about orders, the Order ID always
should be visible, regardless of navigation by the end user. By placing the
Order ID item on the underlying content canvas, and placing items that can be
scrolled out of sight on a stacked canvas, the stacked canvas becomes the scrolling
region, rather than the window itself. Note that stacked canvases can have
their own scroll bars, independent of the window's scroll bars.)
Property Palette.
Stacked Views.
Move the stacked canvas to change its Viewport X Position and Viewport Y
Position properties.
Resize the stacked canvas to change its Viewport Width and Viewport Height
properties. Resizing the view this way does not change the size of the canvas, only the size of the view. To resize the canvas, set the Width and Height canvas properties in the
Property Palette. Only items and boilerplate that are completely on the canvas
will display at runtime, even if the view is larger than the canvas.
For a stacked canvas with scroll bars, scroll the canvas to change the initial
runtime settings for the Viewport X Position on Canvas and Viewport Y Position
on Canvas properties.
in the toolbar.
Property Palette to display the Property Palette.
Set the Viewport X/Y Position on Canvas properties. (Enter X,Y display
coordinates of the view's upper-left corner, relative to the upper-left corner of the
content canvas currently displayed in the window. 0,0 (the default) displays
the tab canvas at the upper-left corner of the content canvas.)
Set the Viewport Width/Height properties. (Enter dimensions of the tab
canvas' view. If the view is smaller than the canvas, end users can scroll the
canvas at runtime.)
Set the Visible property to Yes (tab canvas will be visible when window is
invoked), or No (tab canvas remains hidden until displayed in response to
navigation or programmatic events).
Set the Width/Height properties. (Enter dimensions of the canvas. Tab
canvases typically are smaller than the content canvas(es) in the same window.)
in the toolbar once for each tab page you wish to create.
Property Palette.
Layout Editor.
Stacked Views and select the tab canvas(es) you want to view on the content canvas,
or
Double-click the object icon of a content canvas that is assigned to the same
window as the tab canvas, then select the tab canvas from the Canvas combination box at the top of the Layout Editor.
Show View.
Show View.
in the toolbar.
Property Palette.
in the toolbar.
Property Palette.
the window's current content canvas
any stacked canvases assigned to the window that have the Visible property
set to Yes
Note: If you programmatically display a window that is already displayed, but is
layered behind other windows, Form Builder raises the window in front of the
other windows.
Closing a Window To close a window, you can use either the HIDE_WINDOW or SET_WINDOW_PROPERTY
built-in procedures.
The Current Item When you display and hide windows programmatically, keep in mind that Form
Builder always keeps the item that currently has focus visible to the end user.
If you attempt to programmatically close the window that contains the current
item, Form Builder ignores the call. If you display a window that obscures the
current item, Form Builder executes the call, but then immediately raises
windows or canvases as necessary to keep the current item visible.
DISPLAY_HEIGHT
DISPLAY_WIDTH
OPERATING_SYSTEM
USER_INTERFACE
Note: The built-in subprograms that change the size and position of objects require
arguments for X,Y display coordinates and width/height dimensions. At runtime,
Form Builder interprets these arguments in the units specified by the form
module Coordinate System property: either in character cells, centimeters,
inches, pixels, or points.
SCROLL_VIEW scrolls the window to X,Y coordinates you specify.
SET_VIEW_PROPERTY allows to set either the X or Y coordinates of the view by
setting the Viewport X Position on Canvas or Viewport Y Position on Canvas
properties. (Note that to set both X and Y coordinates of the view, you must call this built-in twice.)
Dynamic Scrolling When end users or the application navigate among items, Form Builder always
keeps the target item visible to the end user. If necessary, Form Builder will
automatically scroll a canvas to bring the target item within the view. For
example, when an end user presses [Next Item] (Tab) to move to an item that is
on the same canvas but currently outside the window, Form Builder dynamically
scrolls the canvas to make the target item visible.
The only exception to this rule is if the end user or the application scrolls
the window explicitly, rather than in response to navigation. In this case,
Form Builder does allow the item that currently has input focus to be scrolled
out of the view. However, the next navigational event will again cause the
target item to be scrolled within the view.
When-Window-Activated
When-Window-Closed
When-Window-Deactivated
When-Window-Resized
When working with these triggers, you can examine the built-in system variable
SYSTEM.EVENT_WINDOW to determine the name of the window for which the trigger
fired.
No, Form Builder raises the canvas to the front of the window only if the
target item is hidden behind another canvas in that same window (when the end user
or application navigates to an item on that canvas.
Yes, Form Builder raises the canvas to the front of the window whenever the
end user or the application navigates to an item on that canvas. (Be careful
about setting Raise on Entry to Yes for a content canvas; since a content canvas
occupies the entire content area of its window, it always will obscure any
stacked canvases when Form Builder raises it to the front of the canvas stack.)
Stacked Canvases
Setting the Raise on Entry property for a stacked canvas can be tricky. To
get it right, you may have to consider window interaction, default navigation,
stacking order, and programmatic manipulation of windows and canvases.
A stacked canvas with Raise on Entry property set to No can be displayed only
through navigation or programmatic control.
Recall that when an end user (or your application) navigates to an item on the
stacked canvas, Form Builder displays the canvas in its assigned window. But
a window also can be shown programmatically, or in response to navigation to an
item on the window's content canvas. In these situations, you must set Raise
on Entry to Yes so Form Builder will display the stacked canvas when the window
is first displayed.
Note that a stacked canvas with its Raise on Entry property set to Yes might
still be hidden in the following situations:
If the stacked canvas' position in the stacking order places it behind a
content canvas or other stacked canvas in the same window.
If the window is displayed because of navigation to an item on another of its
canvases, Form Builder will hide the stacked canvas if it overlaps the target
item. (Form Builder at first displays the stacked canvas, then immediately
raises the target canvas in front of the stacked canvas so that the target item
visible.)
If the window is displayed because of navigation to an item on another of its
canvases, and the target canvas has Raise on Entry set to Yes, Form Builder
will raise the target canvas in front of the stacked canvas, even if the stacked
canvas does not overlap the target item.
the end user or the application navigates to an item on another content canvas
assigned to the same window
a trigger or user-named subprogram executes the REPLACE_CONTENT_VIEW built-in
procedure.
For example, the end user might press [Next Item] (Tab) to navigate to an item
on a different content canvas. Since a window can display only one content
canvas at a time, Form Builder replaces the window's current content canvas with
the new content canvas that contains the target item.
SHOW_VIEW and SET_VIEW_PROPERTY display the indicated content canvas in front of any stacked canvases in the window, thereby hiding those stacked canvases.
In contrast, REPLACE_CONTENT_VIEW displays the indicated content canvas at the
same position in the stacking order as the content canvas it replaces.
Remember that Form Builder always keeps the current item visible to the end
user. If you programmatically replace the content canvas that contains the
current item, Form Builder will automatically redisplay the original canvas.
| Show
| Specifies whether or not to display tables, views, queries, snapshots, and/or
synonyms in the list box.
|
| Drop-down box
| Specifies from which datasource to display the objects. You can also select a
table from a separate account or database .
|
| Select Data Tables
| Lists the available datasource objects you can include in your query. Tip
|
| Info
| Displays information on the selected object: the kind, name, owner, date it
was created, and comments.
|
| Include
| Includes the selected item into the Query Builder workspace.
|
| Close
| Closes the dialog box without including a datasource object.
|
| Show
| This option is not available.
|
| Drop-down box
| Specifies whether or not to display all related tables.
|
| Select Data Tables
| Lists the available related tables. Tip
|
| Info
| Displays information on the selected table: the kind, name, owner, date it
was created, and comments.
|
| Include
| Includes the selected table.
|
| Close
| Closes the dialog box without including a related table.
|
| Default Table Name
| Specifies the current name of the table.
|
| List box
| Lists the tables you have open to rename.
|
| New Name
| Specifies the new table name.
|
| Define
| Updates the table name while keeping the dialog box open.
|
in the Icon bar.
in the Icon bar. This brings up the Show SQL dialog box, where any name changes appear in the SELECT statement in standard
SQL syntax for table aliases.
| Relationship
| Specifies the origin (in A->) and target (in B->) column names.
|
| Operator
| Specifies the type of relationship between the columns.
|
| Use Relationship in Query
| Specifies if your relationship will be used in the query. Default is checked.
|
| A not found in B radio button
| Specifies that the data retrieved is all data common to both tables, in
addition to data that is in table A, but not in table B.
|
| B not found in A radio button
| Specifies that the data retrieved is all data common to both tables, in
addition to data that is in table B, but not in table A.
|
| Suppress Mismatches radio button
| Default. Specifies that the data retrieved is common for both tables.
|
Double-click an inactive relationship line.
To deactivate a relationship:
Double-click the active relationship line.
| Defined Columns
| Specifies the name of the column you want to create.
|
| List box
| Lists existing defined columns.
|
| Defined as
| Specifies the expression of the selected column.
|
| Define
| Applies the definition to the column.
|
| Remove
| Deletes the selected column.
|
| Paste Column
| Displays the Paste Column dialog box.
|
| Paste Func
| Displays the Paste Function dialog box.
|
| Available Columns
| Lists the table columns you can sort in the Results window.
|
| Sorted Columns
| Lists the table columns that are currently sorted in the Results window.
|
| Copy
| Copies the selected column from the Available Columns list to the Sorted
Columns list.
|
| Remove
| Removes the selected column from the Sorted Columns list.
|
| Sorting Order
| Sorts the selected column in Ascending or Descending order. Default is
Ascending.
|
| Available Columns
| Lists the table columns you can display in the Query Builder workspace. Tip
|
| Displayed Columns
| Lists the table columns that are currently displayed in the Query Builder
workspace.
|
| Copy
| Copies the selected column from the Available Columns list to the Displayed
Columns list.
|
| Remove
| Removes the selected column from the Displayed Columns list.
|
| Format
| Displays the Format dialog box.
|
| Totals
| Displays the Totals dialog box.
|
| Execute
| Runs the query.
|
| List box
| Lists the columns you can paste. Tip
|
| Show Categories
| Specifies the types of functions that display in the list box: number, character, date, conversion, group,
other.
|
| List box
| Lists the available functions under the selected category.
|
| Paste Arguments
| Specifies whether or not to include the argument (the expression within the
parentheses of a function that supplies information for the function to use).
|
in the Icon Bar.
the Conditions panel, where the Condition field is located. It is used to refine the query.
the Datasource panel, which displays the tables (views, snapshots, and so forth) used in the query.
Depending on your preferences, the panels may be split vertically or
horizontally.
Each table is displayed in a box containing the name of the table and the
names of columns in that table. There are a number of icons that help identify the
current database object. The icons indicate whether descriptive comments are
attached, the type of datasource, the column's datatype, and whether indexes
have been defined for tables in the query.
Lines are drawn to indicate the relationships between columns. Relationships are set up between tables to identify how a column in one table relates to a
column in another table.
A check mark to the left of the column name indicates the column has been
included in the query. This means that Query Builder will search for data
corresponding to the column name when you run the query. No check mark indicates that
column's data will not be included.
